The Vices of Learning: Morality and Knowledge at Early Modern Universities (Education and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance)

In The Vices of Learning: Morality and Knowledge at Early Modern Universities, Sari Kivistö examines scholarly vices in the late Baroque and early Enlightenment periods. Moral criticism of the learned was a favourite theme of Latin dissertations, treatises and satires written in Germany ca. 1670–1730. Works on scholarly pride, logomachy, curiosity and other vices kept the presses running at German Protestant universities as well as farther north. Kivistö shows how scholars constructed fame and how the process involved various means of producing celebrity. The book industry, plagiarism and impressive titles were all labelled dishonest means of advancing a career. In The Vices of Learning Kivistö argues that scholarly ethics was an essential part of the early modern intellectual framework. Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Chapter 1 Introduction: Academic Self-criticism in the Early Modern Period 10 Dissertations on Scholarly Vices 10 Social Criticism of Scholars 16 Religious Critics of Errors Made by the Learned 22 Classifying the Vices of the Intellect and the Will 26 Vices of Learning Chapter by Chapter 31 Chapter 2 Self-love and Pride 37 Preliminary Definitions 37 Good and Bad Self-love (philautia) 41 Obstinacy as a Symptom of Self-love 44 Similar to God: Pride (fastus) 49 The Dogs of the Nile: Autodidacts and Self-sufficiency 55 Heads Full of Wind and Other Images of Pride 60 Spitzel’s Historical Examples of Pride 68 Pedantry and Thrasonism 72 Humility and Modesty 78 Conclusion 82 Chapter 3 The Desire for Fame 85 Meursius on Glory, Fame and Ambition 86 Fame and Public Recognition 92 Literary Machiavellianism, Academic Deceit and Avarice 98 The Itch to Write 104 Agraphia 115 Bibliotaphia 120 Plagiarism and Academic Thieves 127 Titulomania 143 Conclusion 152 Chapter 4 Logomachia and Futile Quarrelling 156 Disputations in Schools and Universities 156 Sophists and Other Wicked Disputants 162 Sectarians and Eclectics 165 Werenfels on Word-battles 170 Obscurity and Misunderstanding 180 Grammar Wars 182 Logomachies in Law 189 Pleasure, Ambition and Avarice 195 Advice on Moral Improvement 199 On Modesty, Again 203 Conclusions about Peacefulness 206 Chapter 5 Curiosity and Novelties 211 Against Novelties 213 Bad Curiosity and Ambition 216 Measuring the World versus Knowing the Self 221 Curious Fields of Knowledge 226 Examples of Curious Scholars 232 Atheism, Curiosity and Singularity 235 Operative Curiosity 240 Conclusions about Curiosity and Useful Learning 242 Chapter 6 Bad Manners and Old Learning 248 Unfashionable Scholars 248 Bad Communication 252 Solitude and Misanthropy 255 The Silence of the Philosophers 260 Seniority versus Youth 262 Conclusion 265 Chapter 7 Conclusions about Morality and Knowledge 268 Appendix 274 Bibliography 283 Index 306 In The Vices of Learning: Morality and Knowledge at Early Modern Universities, Sari Kivistö examines scholarly vices in the late Baroque and early Enlightenment periods. Moral criticism of the learned was a favourite theme of Latin dissertations, treatises and satires written in Germany ca. 1670-1730. Works on scholarly pride, logomachy, curiosity and other vices kept the presses running at German Protestant universities as well as farther north. Kivistö shows how scholars constructed fame and how the process involved various means of producing celebrity. The book industry, plagiarism and impressive titles were all labelled dishonest means of advancing a career. In The Vices of Learning Kivistö argues that scholarly ethics was an essential part of the early modern intellectual framework.-- Provided by Publisher In The Vices of Learning: Morality and Knowledge at Early Modern Universities, Sari Kivistö examines scholarly vices in the late Baroque and early Enlightenment periods. Moral criticism of the learned was a favourite theme of Latin dissertations, treatises and satires written in Germany circa 1670-1730. Works on scholarly pride, logomachy, curiosity and other vices kept the presses running at German Protestant universities as well as farther north. Kivistö shows how scholars constructed fame and how the process involved various means of producing celebrity. The book industry, plagiarism and impressive titles were all labelled dishonest means of advancing a career. In The Vices of Learning Kivistö argues that scholarly ethics was an essential part of the early modern intellectual framework In The Vices Of Learning Sari Kivistö Examines Scholarly Vices, Such As Pride, Plagiarism And The Desire For Fame, In Over One Hundred Latin Dissertations And Treatises From The Late Baroque And Early Enlightenment Periods. Introduction : Academic Self-criticism In The Early Modern Period -- Self-love And Pride -- The Desire For Fame -- Logomachia And Futile Quarrelling -- Curiosity And Novelties -- Bad Manners And Old Learning -- Conclusions About Morality And Knowledge. By Sari Kivistö. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book sets out to answer a seemingly simple question: What constituted scholarly vices in the late Baroque and early Enlightenment periods? The question arises from the curious fact that moral criticism of the learned was a favourite theme of academic dissertations, polemical tracts and satires written in Germany ca. 1670-1730."--P. [1] Acknowledgements vii 1 Introduction: Academic Self-criticism in the Early Modern Period 1 2 Self-love and Pride 28 3 The Desire for Fame 76 4 Logomachia and Futile Quarrelling 5 Curiosity and Novelties 202 6 Bad Manners and Old Learning 239 7 Conclusions about Morality and Knowledge 259 Appendix 265 Bibliography 274 Index 297